FC Dallas Academy Forward Dante Sealy Called to US U-17 National Team for Nike Friendlies

FRISCO – FC Dallas Academy forward Dante Sealy has been called in, along with 23 other players, by U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team head coach John Hackworth for the 2017 Men’s Nike International Friendlies in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. that runs from Nov. 29-Dec. 3.

The son of former FC Dallas forward Scott Sealy, Dante has played in five matches for the FCD U-17 Academy this season and has one goal. As a 2003 birth year, he is playing up with the 2001 age group in the 2017-18 season.

After competing the previous U-17 cycle with the U-17 World Cup last month, Sealy and the new crop of U-17 call-ups will begin the new cycle for the U-17 program. Like any U-17 Men’s National Team at the beginning of their cycle, the players and staff now set their focus on the 2019 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, where the top four teams will qualify for the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

“To begin the new U-17 cycle with the Nike International Friendlies competing against traditional world powers is a big challenge,” Hackworth said. “However, our staff has evaluated these young men, most recently at the CONCACAF U-15 Championship, and we are all looking forward to the chance to work with this talented group.”

The USA’s schedule of international opponents for the 2017 rendition of the tournament opens vs. England on Nov. 29 (7 p.m. ET) followed by matches against Netherlands on Dec. 1 (7 p.m. ET) and Brazil on Dec. 3 (5 p.m. ET). All the tournament games will be played at Premier Sports Campus and can be seen live on ussoccer.com.

The players who will make up the new U-17 MNT player pool (birth year 2002 or later) competed as U-15 Boys’ National Team during 2016 and all of 2017 until this tournament.

In total, the 2002 Boy’s National Team player pool has already gathered a total of four times in 2017, including two domestic camps earlier in the year as well as two major international tournaments: the 2017 Torneo delle Nazioni and the 2017 CONCACAF Under-15 Championship.

Marking the 17th edition of the Men’s Nike International Friendlies, 2017’s tournament will once again feature three nations from a rotating field that includes Australia, Brazil, England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey. Brazil has attended the tournament every year since 2006, in addition to a 2003 appearance.

International players such as Brazil’s Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, Marcelo, the Netherlands’ Memphis Depay, and many others have also taken the main stage in the well-regarded international tournament.